In the first part of the book, Professor Kolb provides a clear historical narrative of the political, social, economic and cultural developments of the Weimar Republic, setting it within the international context of the inter-war period. In the second part he surveys and analyses scholarly research in the field which sheds light on the problems and controversies of the period in home and foreign affairs. This text, therefore, provides an excellent introduction to the history of the Weimar Republic and a guide to the state of research for more advanced students.The book contains a detailed chronology and an extensive and up-to-date bibilography, divided by subject, which includes recent English-language studies of the period and translation of German works.

PART ONE Historical survey (A)Origin and consolidation of the Republic, 1918/19-1923 1 The revolution and the foundation of the Republic, 1918/19 2 The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles 3 The years of crisis, 1919-23 (B)The phase of relative stabilization, 1924-9 1 German foreign policy within the European system 2 Structural problems and domestic politics 3 The artistic avant-garde and mass culture in the 'golden twenties' (C)The disintegration and destruction of the Republic, 1930-3 1 The rise of National Socialism in the shadow of the world economic crisis 2 Disintegration of the political system: the period of presidential Cabinets PART TWO Basic problems and trends of research 1 The Weimar Republic as a subject of historical research 2 The revolutionary origins of the Republic 3 The Reich Constitution, the party system and the Reichswehr 4 Problems of economic and social development 5 From the peace treaty to the Young Plan: international relations and foreign policy, 1919-30 6 The last phase of the Republic